cover image Steady Beat Vol. 1

Steady Beat Vol. 1

, . . Tokyopop, $9.95 (192pp) ISBN 978-1-59816-135-9

Leah is a star high school athlete with a cool older sister named Sarai and a single mom who is a state senator in Austin, Tex. One day a letter meant for Sarai finds its way into Leah's backpack and she reads it. It's a love letter, and it's signed "Jessica." Thus begins the plot of this American manga by newcomer Rivkah. Leah can't believe her sister is gay—hasn't Sarai dated boys? Leah also constructs a humorous fantasy in which their harried mother kills Sarai when she finds out. A mysterious phone call from someone who saw Leah reading the letter sends the plot in another direction and ends with her getting hit by a car and waking up in the bed of Elijah, a handsome teenage boy who has two dads. The classic YA themes in play easily adapt to manga conventions—characters who mutate into demons and angels during especially dramatic moments, an emphasis on emotion over plotting and numerous story threads that will pick up in subsequent volumes. The art also sticks to the strongest aspects of manga, with appealing character designs set against background details that are by turns romantic and humorous. Steady Beat sets up enough mysteries and cliffhangers to bring readers back for future volumes. (Oct.)